Gizmos & Gadgets

With a new year well under way I'm starting to get my vacation plans together. My trips will vary from a swanky girls' getaway to roughing it in the woods. These trips will cover a wide spectrum of activities, attire and transportation. For better or for worse, I have to admit that the one thing all of my trips will have in common is technology. So, how does one keep untangled in the wild world of wires we live in? Here are my favorite tips and tricks!

Old Meets New

I use an old cassette case to store my headphones in my bag when I travel. Then when I'm stuck in a hotel room or on a train I can flip the case open & use it as a stand for my iPhone. Your 1980's Hall & Oates cassette won't miss the case and it'll keep your wallet from getting tied up in your headphones.

Photos: Betty Kane

Left: Closed case holds earphones.  

Right: Open case can support an iPhone. However, this photo was taken with my iPhone,

 hence why it is not sitting on the case. 

The Power is Mine

When I travel with a small or large group I bring a short power strip. Mine has enough outlets to plug in four items. This way when four people are hunting for enough outlets to charge their phones, cameras & other gizmos I only need one. It also makes packing up for the return trip easier because all of my chargers are in one place.


Dancing in the ... Hotel Room
I love to listen to music when I get ready in the morning. When away I just pop my iPhone into a hotel cup or mug. This amplifies the sound. You may have seen this idea all over Pinterest. I've done it and it really works!

Beauty & the Beast

To travel with beauty accessories or not? That is the question. My answer? It depends on what you are doing. Sure, if you are going to meet the Queen of England you'd want to be all decked out. Short of that, I say, find shortcuts. Do a little research, if the hotel promises a hair dryer, leave yours at home. If it doesn't you may want to get a travel dryer. You can find them as a solid unit, like mine below, or with a folding handle. Don't bring both a dryer and a straightener unless you absolutely need both. Share when you are traveling with others. Four girls on a weekend getaway can survive with one hair dryer & one straightener. It's possible, I've done it.

Photo: Betty Kane

My travel dryer has gotten some good milage and is still going. It's a Vidal Sassoon. 

Transportation

I'm always looking for ways to pack less and pack light. However if you're bringing gadgets of value, then place some value in how you transport your belongings. A $200 camera that goes into your bag without a case can come out worth $0. Take the time to find a case or cases for your gadgets that fit well. Also, consider the elements. I picked up a waterproof pouch to keep camera and ID in when I kayak. That pouch came in real handy when I was caught in a couple of Florida downpours in Disney. Check the camping or water sports section of your local sporting goods store for a "dry sack" or "dry bag." You can also check REI.com for some items of this nature. They come in a wide variety, small clear bags for phones to large bags meant for sleeping bags. Be creative and find one that fits your needs.


Inspector Gadget - Cell Phone Style
Make the most of the options your cell phone comes with. Use the notepad or take a photo of important aisle and section information in massive parking lots, such as a theme park or at the airport. Preprogram the contact information for your travel agent, airline and hotel.  If you are going somewhere in which you'll be facing a language barrier take pictures of some basic items you might need. It'll be easier to point at the picture of your hotel, a coffee cup or a bathroom if you are looking for directions to any of these.

Taming of the Wires

If you are one of those techie junkies who refuses to leave home without a mile of wires then the least you can do is keep them neat and tidy. There are two ways I've gone about this. The first being divide and conquer, by keeping each wire in a different part of the suitcase. I usually stash chargers in shoes or in a separate ziplock bag each. More commonly though I wrap each one up, secure it with string, tape or a zip tie and keep them all in one pouch.

Creative Cooking

One of the best gadgets I've ever purchased for traveling is a heating coil. Budget accommodations don't always include a microwave. This allows you to boil water easily. You can make tea, hot cocoa, coffee, ramen noodles and oatmeal easily. Magellans.com sells the heating coil and this folding heat tolerant cup. I use this pairing on nearly every trip I go on.

            

Photos courtesy: Magellans.com

Left: Heating coil 

http://www.magellans.com/dual-voltage-heating-coil-22262

Right: Folding cup that can handle boiling water. 

http://www.magellans.com/foldacup

DON'T BE AFRAID TO UNPLUG
I can't emphasize this enough. Once in a while you should put the camera down and just experience your surroundings. Turn off the bleeping cell phone and connect with the people around you. Spend the usual 15 minutes of morning time you would use with the hair dryer or iron to just go for a walk in your vacation surroundings. Hell, we could all use a little of this at home too, but I won't get carried away.

Start at the beginning...

I've always said that if I lived my life the way I travel I'd be the most organized, well balanced person around. That may be a bit overambitious, or even dramatic. However, the basic ideas behind that statement are feasible... well, so I hope. You see, when I travel I plan and prepare, I'm much more willing to accept roadblocks and I get to figuring out crafty ways around those roadblocks rather well (most of the time anyway). 

So... why am I telling you all of this? Glad you asked! The Crafty Explorer page is here to share successes and failures in getting crafty in everyday life.

I guess a first posting should have some of life's most basic crafting skills...

Top 10 Ways to Make People Think You are MacGyver...
Using a Safety Pin


10. Wardrobe Malfunction
Ok, so this is probably the most obvious, but seriously, lost button, zipper snafu, hem comes undone, etc. These are all things that could make for an embarrassing situation in the office & all can be temporarily fixed with the aid of a single safety pin.

9. Emergency Zipper Repair
Busted zipper on bag or suitcase? No problem. Take a couple of safety pins and use them to close the two sides of the bag together. Zipper pull breaks? Most zippers have a little loop on top that will allow you to attach a safety pin to use in place of the pull. Add a pretty bead and consider it a fashion statement.

8. Drawstring and Shoe Lace Stringing (or Restringing)
Have a bag, hoodie or sweatpants where the all mighty drawstring has come out in the laundry? Need to guide old shoelaces back into those little holes? You can struggle with either of these tasks forever or just use a safety pin to guide those drawstrings and laces back into place.

7. Coat Check Gloves and Scarves
I used to hate putting my winter coat into a coat check with my scarf and gloves stashed in the pockets. Getting all of those items back always seems like a gambling bet. However, if you string your scarf through the sleeves and pin it to the back of the coat and then, using the same pin attach your gloves or using a second pin attach the gloves to the inside of a pocket (my preference) I think you'll see you've put the odds in your favor. 

6. Jewelry Repair
If the clasp on your necklace or bracelet breaks you can join both ends of most jewelry with a safety pin to get you through the day. The pointy tip is also great for trying to get knots out of chains too.

5. Fashion Design
A quick search on CutOutandKeep.net or Pinterest will show you a plethora of ways to turn safety pins and beads into jewelry ranging from necklaces, earrings, broaches and even a watch band.

A great how-to for a snazzy watch band can be found on this blogger's page: 
http://bktribe.blogspot.com/2012/02/safety-pin-watch-or-bracelelt.html
Those sites also have some great t-shirt and blazer design ideas using safety pins. 

4. Computer Keyboard Cleaner
The gunk that can build up in between the keys of a computer keyboard is gross, especially on a computer that is shared by many users. Get those stuck keys moving again by scraping the gunk out using the safety pin. And then go wash your hands, only goodness knows what that gunk actually is.

3. First Aid Kit Helper 
I've found two nifty uses for the almighty safety pin in my first aid kit. First, I've disinfected it and then used the pointy bit to help remove a splinter or two. Even better, I use a safety pin to keep Ace bandages in place.

***Disclaimer: By no means am I a medical authority in any way shape or form. Follow advice at your own risk.***

2. Stapler Stand-In
I work in an office where you are more likely to find Sasquatch than a stapler. Be careful not to stab yourself and just poke a safety pin through the pages you need to keep together. Leave the stapler hunting to the rest of the office. 

1. Secure Important Documents / Items
When you need to carry important items and / or documents, particularly in crowded areas you can put them in a small zipper pouch or even a zip-lock bag. Then you can use a safety pin to secure the pouch or bag to the inside of your pocket. This is particularly useful for places like concerts and amusement parks. I've put my license, debit card and some cash in a pouch and did this for Six Flags, Disney and even some kayaking trips.